Coin controlled clutch



June 8, 193. c. L. GRAU com CONTROLLED cwrcn Filed Sept. 27, 1'94;

&2"! Z. Graw INVENTOR. Z7 ///5 47702415 Patented June 8, 1943 COIN CONTROLLED CLUTCH Carl L. Gran, Ottawa, Ill., assignor to A. B. T.

Manufacturing Corp., Chicago, 111., a corporation oflllinois Application September 2'7, 1941, Serial No. 412,579

3 Claims.

This invention relates to certain novel improvementsin clutch devices especially adapted for use in connection with coin-operated vending machines or the like and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly eflicient in use and economical in manufacture.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a clutch of the slip-joint type wherein upon applying undue pressure or pressure greater than that required to render operative the machine by the deposit of a proper coin or token, the clutch will be automatically released, thereby preventing rupturing of the clutch or the parts which it operates, and when a proper coin or token is deposited so as to effect operation of the clutch a means will be placed into operation to assure proper operation of the clutch for the purpse of operating the vending mechanism or other mechanism with which the clutch i associated.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention wilgl be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an interior view of a coin box showin my improved invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional detail view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of the same'taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

' Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of the same taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail View of the same taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view of the same taken substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 'I is a fragmentary perspective view of the same looking at the side thereof opposite to that shown in Fig. 3.

In the drawing 1 have illustrated my preferred form of construction. In this connection a coin box is indicated at 10. This box It generall includes a Wall II which either constitutes a part of the machine to which the coin box is attached or constitutes a separate plate which in turn is attached to the machine. Within this coin box 10 is a coin detector I2 of any improved construction. This coin detector 12 constitutes no part of the present invention andhas been illus-I trated merely for a better understanding of the present invention. Formed in the coin box 10 is a coin slot 13 through which the coins are de posited into the coin detector. From the coin detector the coins are deposited into a receiving pocket M. This receiving pocket I4 is formed as a part of an operating disc l5 having formed in its periphery, partially therearound, ratchet teeth l6 adapted to engage a pawl 11 pivotally supported by a stud l8 carried by the wall II. This pawl 11 and the ratchet teeth l6 cooperate to serve the purpose of what is known as a full stroke device, that is, compelling the complete rotation of the disc l5 before it is capable of being returned. This pawl 11 is under the control of the spring [9, one end of which i 'connected to the pawl as at 20, and the opposite end to a pin 2l' carried by a stud 22 secured to the Wall II. On this stud 22 is pivotally secured a latch lever 23 normally urged in one direction by a spring 24 connected at one end to a pin '25 carried by the stud l8 and connected to the latch lever 23 at at 26;

This latch lever 23 at its free end 21 carries a, latch pin 28 adapted to engage a' notch 29 formed in the disc l5. The arrangement is such that if a coin is not deposited in the pocket l4,

rotation of the disc 15 a predetermined distance will bring the latch pin 28 into engagement with the latch notch 29 and consequently prevent further rotation of the disc 15. This disc I5 is secured to the operating shaft 36 by a pin 39 which shaft 30 is in turn connected in a well known manner to the mechanism to be operated, the manner of such connection constituting no part of the present invention. This shaft 30 extends through a bearing 3! and has the inner end portion 32 thereof disposed in a socket 33 formed in a hub 34. The hub 34 is secured by means of a set screw 35 to a stub shaft 36 in turn secured through the medium of a stud screw 31 to the handle 38 as best shown in Fig. 6. By this arrangement there is'provided a hand operated shaft 36 in axial alignment with the operating shaft 30 each of which shafts are free to rotate independent of eachother.

Formed on one side of the disc l5 and extending laterally therefrom is a boss 39 provided with a socket 40 in which is mounted a spring 4!. This spring ll normally bears a ball 42 against the inner peripheral wall 43 of an annular flange 44 formed on the hub 34. In this flange 43 is formed a recess 45 into which the ball 42 is adapted to be seated. The arrangement is such;

that a releasable connection is maintained between the hub 34 and the disc l so as to permit rotating movement of the shafts 36 and for a predetermined distance. This initial rotative movement of the disc I5 is essential so as to bring the notch 29 into engagement with the latch pin 28 or bring a deposited coin into engagement with the latch pin 28 to raise the latter out of alignment with the notch 29. But should the operator at the completion of rotation of the shaft 30 apply additional force upon the handle 38, such additional force will cause the ball 42 to disengage from the recess 45, and the handle 38 will turn without imparting rotation to the shaft 30.

A clutch means is provided for operatively connecting the hand operated shaft 36 to the operating shaft 30 upon the deposit of a proper coin in the coin receiving pocket I4. To this end the coupling pin 28 projects into a slot 46 formed in a coupling lever 41. This coupling lever 41 is pivoted as at 48 to the disc l5 and has an end portion 49 adapted to engage an abutment 5|] formed in the portion 34 of the hub 34. The arrangement is such that when the latch pin 28 is elevated by the coin from engagement with the latch notch 29, such elevation of the pin will in turn pivot the'coupling lever 41 to dispose the end 49 thereof in the path of the abutment 50,

and thereby a positive connection will result between the handle 38 and the shaft 30 whereby upon continued operation of the handle 38 the shaft 30 will be positively rotated, and as long at this end 49 is in engagement with the abutment 5!] the ball 42 cannot be disengaged from the recess 45.

While it is old in the art to provide slip clutches, such as function to prevent excess pressure from being applied to the operative partsv of a machine when a coin has not been deposited in the machine, such slip clutches are not effective for operating purposes because of the lack of some means of providing a positive connection between the operating shaft and the handle when a proper coin is in the coin pocket. Without such a means, when the handle is turned should it require a greater pressure on the handle to effect operation of the shaft 30, there is a likelihood of the clutch being rendered inoperative to the extent that the clutch will slip and thereby not result in the operation of the operating shaft of the machine. By the employment of the coupling lever 41 such cannot take place in the use of. my slip clutch.

The disc [5 is normally urged into initial or coin receiving position as shown in Fig. 1, by a spring 5! having one end anchored to the wall ll (Fig. 2) and its free end attached to a clip 52 carried by and rotatable with the disc l5 (Fig. 7). A stop pin 53 extends laterally from the disc l5 toward the wall II and is adapted to engage a fixed plate 54 which is carried at its ends on the shaft 30 and the stud i8 and spans the space between them to provide an abutment for the stop pin 53. By this. arrangement the spring 5i will urge the disc into initial position with the stop pin 53 bearing against the top edge of the plate 54. A second stop pin 55 is likewise carried by the disc I5 similar to the pin 53 but spaced circumferentially therefrom such as to permit a rotative movement of the disc l5 (clockwise Fig. 4) and then to limit such rotative movement by engagement of. the pin 55 with the lower edge of the plate 54.

Breakage due to constant abuse, which handoperated lever controls are exposed to, is greatly minimized by this invention and yet there is always a positive driving connection maintained as and when the control lever is properly'operated to receive a coin.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and. modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, an operating shaft, a member fixed to said shaft and having a coin pocket and a latch notch formed therein, a latch member adapted to engage said notch when-no coin is in said pocket but adapted to be engaged by a coin and pivoted to a position from engagement with said notch, a second shaft supported in axial alignment with said operating shaft and having a handle thereon, a hub member carried by said second shaft for rotation therewith and having an abutment formed thereon, a coupling finger carried by the first member and normally disposed out of engagement with said abutment and adapted to engage the abutment of said hub member, spring detent means for providing an operating releasable connection between the hub member and said first named member when the latter is initially rotated to bring said coin pocket opposite said latch member and to permit camming action of the latter by a coin as aforesaid and adapted to release said hub member for rotative movement inde-- pendent of said first named member when said latch member engages said notch to prevent further rotation of said first named member, and means operatively connecting said latch member and said coupling finger, whereby when a coin is in said pocket said latch finger will be moved into engagement with said abutment when the member having the coin pocket is rotated.

2. In a. device of the class described including a frame, a hand operated drive shaft and a driven shaft supported in axial alignment in said frame, a coin carrier fixed to said driven shaft and having a coin pocket and latch notch formed therein, a latch lever pivotally arranged on said frame and normally disposed to engage said notch upon rotation of said carrier a predetermined distance and adapted to be engaged by a coin disposed in said pocket for pivotal movement out of notch engaging position to permit continued rotative movement of said carrier, a hub member carried by said drive shaft for rotative movement therewith and having an abutment formed thereon, a spring urged detent means providing a releasable connection between said coin carrier and said hub member and adapted to be released when excessive pressure is applied to said hand operated drive shaft and no coin is deposited in saidcoin pocket, acoupling lever pivotally mounted on said coin carrier and adapted, during rotation of said carrier a predetermined distance as aforesaid, to be pivoted into engagement with said abutment, means operatively connecting said latch lever with said coupling lever whereby when a coinis deposited in said coin pocket and the drive shaft rotated said predeter-- mined distance said coupling lever will pivot into engagement with said abutment.

3. In a device of the class described, a coin box, an operating shaft having a portion entering said box, a latch wheel having a coin pocket and a notched peripheral portion adjacent thereto and being fixed to said shaft, a drive shaft and a handle for rotating the same by hand, a hub bearing member mounted on said drive shaft and freely engaging an end portion of said operating shaft, a latch member pivotally supported on a wall of said coin box and having a pin member normally bearing against the periphery of said latch wheel to engage said notched portion when no coin is in the pocket but adapted to be elevated to a position out of engagement with said latch wheel and the notched portion thereof by a coin in said pocket when said drive shaft is rotated by hand, spring means providing releasable connection between said latch wheel and said hub bearing member and adapted to transmit an initial rotative movement to said latch wheel from said hub bearing member on said drive shaft and adapted to permit continued movement of said hub bearing member and said drive shaft independently of said latch wheel when said latch member engages said notched portion to limit rotative movement of said latch wheel, the combination of a clutch means for coupling said latch wheel with said. hub bearing member, said means comprising a coupling finger having an arcuated slot formed therein through which said pin projects, means pivotally connecting the coupling finger to said latch wheel, a coupling abutment member formed on said hub bearing member, said coupling finger being adapted to be pivoted by said pin, when the latter is elevated by a coin in said pocket to engage the coupling abutment on said hub.

. CARL L. GRAU. 

